One of the most interesting aspects of Saints Row IV is the addition of super powers. We haven’t really seen anything like it in open world games since the excellent Crackdown. It was incredibly fun in Microsoft’s open world title, but it’s very easy to screw it up as well (see Superman Returns).

In the latest dev diary, Volition explains why they included super powers in Saints Row IV, and how said powers complement the gameplay experience. The team also goes into the inspiration behind some of the weapons, including the Dubstep Gun and Rectifier.

The developers say that Saints Row: The Third took the series up to 11 and that Saints Row IV knocks it up to 13. It’s hard to see where it could go next, but the team at Volition has proven that they know how to tap into the utter insanity that makes all of us incredibly happy.

Saints Row IV launches on August 20 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.